The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-05-19
WHAT NEW YORK EATS.

WHAT NEW YORK EATS.
TOUR THROUGH A METROPOLITAN
MARKET BEFORE SUNRISE.
Character and Traditions OF Washing
ton nIarket-Watchmen on Duty-Tse.
tail and Wholesale Depsrtments-A
"stand Privileges" Value.
The Sixth avenue elevated trains at
4:30 o'clock Of spring morning are
sparsely occupied with passengers, more
than half of whom carry great empty
baskets or wear the rough end ready raj
ment Of marketmen. They are on their
way to Washington market which occu-
pies square on the north side Of Manhat-
tan island. 1t is always open. A thief,
unversed in its workings, would imagine
that he could easily walk Off with some Of
tho fresh meat hanging apparently un-
guarded at the stalls, but before he would
have time to take down his booty one Of
the six watchmen on duty in the market
would appear from its heshy precincts and
arrest him. Before leaving his stall each
meat dealer makes out a list Of bis wares
exposed. The watchmen carry corre-
spending list, and are held responsible for
the loss of any goods by theft. The six
watchmen guard the 300 stands so closely
that thieves find the place barren waste
for their trade. At o'clock the stands
in the retail market begin to open. The
eminently healthy butchers whistle mer-
rily, and several of them are cutting beef
kidneys out of great masses Of fat and
: tossing the suet over on counters, from
whence it will be taken to the'big: factory
known as the Fat association, and there
made up into the base Of genuine dairy
|; butter.''
THE WHOLESALE DEPARTMENT.
Beyond the retail market, and bounded
on one side by the North river, Is the
wholesale department. of Washington
market. :. 1t looks like a street intersected
community of one story structures, peo-
pied with carcasses Of beef, veal and mutt
ton, and crates of quacking, cackling
fowls. "A wheeling tug tows up to the
wharf q lighter, on which are several re-
figerator cars that have been hurryinG
from Chicago with their loads of beef.
The carcasses are passed out OF the cars,
hung on hooks that move on iron ways
and thus rolled into great ice houses,
where the retail dealers have already be-
gun to como for their stock. On Friday
end Saturday mornings business begins at
2o'clock. BOOSTERS in the crates full OF
fowl crow as blithely rs If they were on
their perches at home and not doomed
prisoners. Philadelphia Is the great fowl
producing center, and many Washington
market firms display placards reading,
philadelphia poultry q specially"
Four o'clock comes and the retail de-
partment of the market has become quite
densely populated. Half of the 1000 per-
sons who do business in and about the
market have already arrived and begun to
arrange their wares. A few early pur.
chasers are on hand for choice bargains.
Several shivering bummers, who frequent
the place and sleep heaven knows where,
are standing about and looking wistfully
in at the windows of the little restaurants
in the market. They will later in the day
run the chance Of earning IN odd dime or
so carrying baskets. The poultry dealers
have come and are unpacAng boxes Of
frozen turkeys. On the bills of fare Of re-
cllerche restaurants one learns that prairie
market, but long rows Of Guinea hens sre
hanging there, and the brunette flesh OF
the Guinea hen is palmed off on the un-
suspecting customer for prairie chicken.
At 6 o'clock the oyster stands are peopled
with files of oyster openers, who begin
their unromantic toll Of turning 5000 oys-
ters q day out Of house and home.
EVERYTHING EATABLE.
Spring lamb Is plentiful, but the con-
comitant mint Is 80 scarce that the one or
two stands that sell 1t. get ten cents a
bunch for hot house mint that little
later will be drug on the market at two
cents. Everything eatable is sold In this
great market. At one stand that has a
foreign air and odor customer is buying
little hard, spiced cakes from Germany.
Over another stand in the fish community
Is a placard announcing that the dealer
has worms that can be had there for
twelve and fifteen cents dozen. They
are sand worms, used by fishermen for
bait. Over the fish stands hang bottles Of
cod liver oil, and under one Of these bottles
a big cod, still alive, is gasping in horror,
as il at the sight Of the essence of IN an
cestor's liver. At z o'clock the stewards
Of the big hotels, whom the marketmen
treat with great Difference, begin to ar
rive,
"A little after o'clock the business of
the market begins to be confusedly brisk.
The marketmen cry their wares, but do it
with an air Of "I don't care much whether
you buy or not" Everybody seems indie
pendent. He owns his stand privilege,
worth from $4,000 upward, and holds it
as long as he behaves himself and pays his
rent of 81 or more fortnight. Failures
in business are rare. The dealers are
healthy and contented, and to them Wash
ington market is the universe. One who
has not been In business in the market
over forty years is considered new
comer.-Amos j. Cummings in Pioneer
Press.
Modern Conjurers and Magicians.